The Reason Why You Shouldn't Kill Centipedes In Your House

Apr 19, 2018

Centipedes are creepy, crawly, unexpected visitors that can make anyone squirm once they spot them. Your immediate instinct is to reach for a nearby shoe or object to smush it so you don't have to worry about them crawling everywhere in your house.

What's worse is that centipedes like cool, damp places, which means you can likely find them in your bathroom where you want to feel your cleanest. Fight your urge to kill them, though, because they are actually helping you with your fight against all the other creepy insects that could be in your house!
 

This is the house centipede and it has 30 legs and a short body. It's terrifying to look at, but they serve a good purpose.

Consider sparing their life as choosing the lesser of two evils. When you save a centipede, you save yourself from countless other insects that could make their way into your home. Centipedes sustain their numerous legs by eating a lot. Their favorite foods include cockroaches, silverfish, ants, bedbugs, and spiders.
 

Unlike the centipede, silverfish serve no purpose except to startle you when you go into the bathroom. These two bugs enjoy the same environments, so if you encounter a centipede, you can be thankful that there aren't tons of silverfish in its place instead.

Unfortunately, although centipedes are helpful exterminators, they can also be quite alarming looking. They have a habit of moving very quickly, becoming motionless, only to charge at you a few moments later. Their erratic movements can make the bravest people scream. Just because you shouldn't kill them doesn't mean that you have to let your house be controlled by centipedes!
 

If you have enough guts, try to scoop them up with a plate or cup and gently release them outside somewhere damp. That way, they can continue feasting on neighboring insects and they can prevent them from getting into your house. In order to keep them out, take steps to remove the dampness in places like your bathroom and basement.

If you've only encountered one or two centipedes, then you could even consider letting them stay since they're doing good work behind the scenes. If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone and keep you from having to work overtime killing more invaders.
 

Although they do a great job at mentally scarring people, in reality, they can't do much to hurt you. They don't want to bite humans and they're not strong enough to do harm even if they tried. They're also quite clean, unlike cockroaches and flies, since they spend a great deal of their day cleaning themselves.

Do you know anyone who has a bug phobia that should consider sparing centipedes? Let them know the benefits!